How cyclic breathing can relieve stress | 90 Seconds w/ Lisa Kim

David Spiegel, MD, explains how cyclic sighing, a controlled breathing exercise, can quickly reduce stress and anxiety.

Feeling anxious? You're far from alone. During the pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression soared around the globe, resulting in a shortage of mental health care providers and long wait times for therapy. But, according to a new study from Stanford Medicine, there's an easy, at-home way to help lower your stress level: It's called cyclic sighing, a controlled breathing exercise that emphasizes long exhalations. What's more, it can take as little as five minutes to experience less anxiety, a better mood and even decreased rates of breathing at rest, a sign of overall body calmness. Read the full story: stan.md/3E5Oey5 David Spiegel, MD, is Associate Chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Director of the Center on Stress and Health, and Medical Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has more than 40 years of clinical and research experience studying psycho-oncology, stress and health, pain control, psychoneuroendocrinology, sleep, hypnosis, and conducting randomized clinical trials involving psychotherapy for cancer patients. Lisa Kim is Senior Manager of Media Relations for Stanford Medicine and Stanford Health Care. Lisa has a deep background in journalism, as she is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who has covered stories on both the national and local levels. #Stress #Anxiety #BreathingExercises . . . Stanford Medicine advances human health through world-class biomedical research, education and patient care. Bringing together the resources of Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford Medicine is committed to training future leaders in biomedicine and translating the latest discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. The Stanford Medicine YouTube channel is a curated collection of contributions from our School of Medicine departments, divisions, students, and the community. Our diverse content includes coverage of events, presentations, lectures, and associated stories about the people of Stanford Medicine.